


Guardian Deity

by Caitycaterpillar



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012), ノラガミ | Noragami
Genre: Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Crossover, Gen, Not In Chronological Order, Papa bear Yato, Protective Wind, Sentient Wind, Vignette
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-17
Updated: 2017-06-12
Packaged: 2018-05-27 06:36:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6273613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caitycaterpillar/pseuds/Caitycaterpillar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yato never expected to be the one taking care of the new Winter... or for the brat to be this adorable. A series of vignettes surrounding the life of Jack Frost and how it changes once he is adopted by a certain god of calamity.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The god Yato

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yato meets the new Winter.

The first time Yato saw the new immortal, he couldn't help but think that the spirit looked a little too young to be off on his own.

The white haired boy looked no older than six and power _rolled_ off the kid in waves. If Yato had to guess he would say that the brat would fill in the empty slot the Seasonals had been struggling with for little under a century. Old Man Winter had left a gaping hole in their rotation and the weather hadn't really been the same without him around.

The kid wondered around timidly, bringing snow into the area. Yato watched from afar as the boy walked between the foliage, giving it a generous dosage of frost as he went. Often the child immortal would stop and stare at something and the surrounding area would get a little too much frost to be healthy. The spirit would then pause, noticing that something wasn't _quite_ right, and then move on. An air of confusion following him as he went.

Briefly Yato wondered how long this new immortal had been around for. ( _Obviously not that long if his stiff, awkward movements had anything to go by._ ) He also wondered where Mother Nature was. Normally she wouldn't let her new Seasonals out of her sight for a couple decades until she was sure that they wouldn't botch anything up. Untrained Seasonals could be dangerous, that normally went double for the Winter's Shepard.

The boy broke into a run, stumbled, and then leaped into the air. He dipped dangerously close to the ground for a moment before righting himself and then disappearing off into the distance.

Yes, Yato thought, a very new spirit indeed.

 

-o0o-

 

The second time Yato came across the young immortal was more than two years later.

The frosty spirit was rushing between a group of playing children, looking no older than he did from the last time Yato saw him, throwing random snowballs where he could and generally causing more confusion. The little immortal laughed and shouted alongside the children and for a moment Yato thought that he could actually be seen.

That thought was quickly put to rest as a girl rushed through the spirit.

The boy gasped and curled into himself. Yato winced. Having somebody rush through you couldn't have been pleasant. The boy's already brittle happiness shattered and he took to the air to avoid having another child run through him. 

Yato watched on as the spirit tried to calm his breathing and valiantly try keep the tears that had started to well at bay. The spirit's face crumpled and with a hiccup, he flew away.

The storm that ravaged across the land that night tore down most of the town.

 

-o0o-

 

The third time Yato saw the spirit he could not stand by as the kid drowned in his sadness. 

He knew that he could get into some serious trouble if other gods took notice that he was meddling with a young ( _impressionable_ ) spirit but as he stood in the shadows and listened to the child as he pleaded with the moon, _begging_ to know why he was left alone, the god of calamity could not sit by passively any more. He had heard of stories circulating amongst the supernatural already. Stories about the new Winter, how he was childish and unskilled, how he didn't care for the balance and what his season did, how he didn't respect other spirit's territories, and Yato felt a terrible anger bubble in the pit of his stomach.

How could they expect a newborn to know these things without being taught as much? They all punished the child but did not stop to tell him what he had done wrong. Yato remembered a time where he had done terrible things and never saw anything wrong with it. He remembered the confusion he felt when all the other spirits would turn tail and run, the hurt he felt when nobody would speak to him and not know what he had done to them to deserve such a harsh treatment.

The child was now curled into a ball underneath a rather large tree with an intense air of misery. Yato wasn't sure when he had started to move forward but soon he was moving out of his hiding spot. As he walked he noticed another thing that just added to his ire.

This kid was Blighted.

His left arm right up to his ear was a huge bruise and Yato had no doubt that it hurt. Yet another thing that should have been taught to the kid alongside his Sheparding duties; protecting himself from the Far Shore.

The crunch of the snow under his shoes was painfully loud in the deafening silence of the night and Yato was surprised when the child didn't look up at the sound of his approach. He stopped just in front of the kid and waited until tense arms unwound to find watery blue eyes looking up at him.

“Hey there, kid.” Yato said softly, “You certainly look like you've had a pretty crappy day.”

 

-o0o-

 

It took some convincing but eventually the spirit ( _“M'name's Jack. Jack Frost.”_ ) agreed to follow Yato to a nearby shrine. The child was a little hesitant at first but Yato was unsure if that was because the kid could tell that he wasn't a god with the most friendly aura or if it was the basic 'stranger danger' caution all kids came standard with. So Yato decided to put the kid at ease the only way he knew how; he took the child's hand in his and started talking.

“So what's an Westerner like you doing this far East? Especially this country. Not exactly as safe as you're used to, I would assume.” Yato hummed and tilted his head, “Far Shore beasties _love_ it here. Not sure why though.”

“Far Shore?” Jack queried quietly, cautiously, but with a shine in his eyes that spoke of just how much having somebody to talk to meant to him. Yato's thought process stumbled to a stop.

“How much do you know about the world you've been living in kid?” he asked after a while. He needed to know what the kid knew and judging by the frosty blush that coated his cheeks, it wasn't much.

If the Newborn was a god he could have made an estimate closer to human years but spirits were a bit harder to judge. They could go for centuries never changing and looking like an infant. In fact, Yato was pretty sure there was already some love deity out there that was a couple hundred years older than himself and looked like a five year old.

“Okay listen up.” Yato said as he picked up Jack and set the child down onto the wall of a shrine well. “Since your knowledge is _obviously_ lacking, the great me shall endeavour to cure you of your cluelessness.”

He dipped a cup into the cold water and brought it up full. “Lesson 1!”

 _Splash!_ “Hey!”

Yato leaned against the well and smiled jovially as Jack chipped pieces of ice off his cloak.

“Lesson 1: Purifying wounds!” he continued. He took Jack's arm gently in his arm and watched as the water made the blight sizzle when it touched skin but froze when it was on fabric. He eyed the spots that were dry and dipped the cup back into the well for a fresh batch of Blessed Water to pour onto the boy. He had to dip a piece of his sleeve into the water so he could wipe at the blight behind the boy's ear. He spoke while he worked.

“This right here is what you call a Blight or an Impurity, its a wound caused by _ayakashi_ that corrupts the soul and slowly turns them bad. Very nasty stuff if left alone. Eyes growing absolutely _everywhere,_ I swear.”

Yato eyed the clear pale skin for a moment before looking up into bright blue eyes once more.

“Is your arm still bothering you, kid?”

The look of wonder on the spirits face when he watched the rapidly receding blemishes was enough to convince Yato that he had for once done the right thing. He stood up and bowed dramatically to the child.

“Now, let me introduce myself. I am the god Yato, at your service.”

 


	2. Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack has a nightmare but this time he's not alone.

Jack couldn't breathe.

His hands groped blindly through the water as large pieces of ice chipped off and swirled around him. The hole in the ice mocked him with how close it was, how close he was to freedom, but he just... didn't have the energy to pull himself up.

And all the while, as he struggled to get to the top, the Moon stood over him. Watching him as he sunk. Doing nothing.

( _Its okay. Its okay, I've got you.)_

The murky water sung sweetly to him as bubbles floated sedately around him. Mocking him in their calm trip towards the surface while he stayed behind and thrashed.

It felt like the ice had betrayed him. Slush floated alongside in the dark murky water while a thick barrier of ice kept him down.

And it was cold.

Never in his life had Jack ever feared the cold or the ice that it brought. He feared the ice now though. He could feel it eat at his fingers, his toes, and start to move upward. The sharp daggers of ice crawling up his limbs, covering him in frosted patterns that he usually took such delight in. It weighed him down, held him still; slowly killing him. Desperately, Jack looked upward, hoping to see a means to an end. If he could just get his limbs to move then he would be able to swim to the top! But what he saw only sent him into another spiral of despair.

The ice had betrayed him yet again.

_(Shhhh, shhh. You're okay.)_

It curled and edged over the hole he had just fallen through, blocking his only way out. It moved mockingly slowly and when it was done there was nothing left but smooth ice and the visage of the smiling moon. Watching him as he died. He fell further and further away from the moonbeams of light and into the dark depths of the water. And so...

Jack allowed the darkness to take him and screamed.

 

-o0o-

 

Jack woke up to strong arms curled around him. One hand gently carding through his hair while the other held him in place. They kept him there while he hyperventilated and struggled to figure out why he wasn't under the ice any more. Somebody was talking to him, saying things--

“Shhh, little spirit. I've got you. You're okay. I've got you.”

\--over and over in his ear. A constant stream of words. Spoken softly, never shouting or rushed, and incredibly soothing. Jack looked up through watery eyes to find Yato. His saviour from the horrible icy depths that tried to kill him. He sniffled and tried to calm down but really only succeeded was sucking in a hiccuping breath.

“Don't worry, little spirit, I've got you. You're safe now. Nothing's going to get to you now okay?” Yato hadn't stopped his stream of comforting whispers. The constant flow of sweet nothings was honestly the best sound Jack had ever heard of at that moment but even when he felt more safe and loved than he ever had before, there was still a well of _Panic-Hurt-NeedsLove_ sitting snugly in his lungs that he just couldn't take.

So he wept.

Jack cried big fat tears into the dark material covering Yato's shoulder and relished in the hand that ran soothing circles on his back. At one point Yato leaned his head gently onto Jack's and started humming. The gentle vibrations of his chest rumbled through Jack's bones and made him feel sleepy.

Slowly, his sobbing slowed to a hiccuping cry and Jack gripped tightly at his foster-father's yukata. He never wanted to leave Yato's shoulder ever again.

“You feeling a little better now?” Yato whispered and used his sleeve to wipe the corner of Jack's eyes and cheeks. Jack hummed listlessly and felt Yato nod.

“You wanna sleep with me tonight?” he asked softly and Jack felt like crying all over again. He nodded.

“Okay.” Yato settled himself back down and started to hum again, never stopping the soft movements of his fingers through Jack's hair.

And Jack was glad. So, _so_ glad that Yato had found him curled up under a tree all those many months ago because even though the dream was scary and he never ever wanted to have another ever again...  he wouldn't mind that much if he woke up to having Yato there to take care of him.

 


	3. Life Lesson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yato passes down some very important lesson to Jack.

Jack, as Yato had come to find, was a naughty little shit.

“Aww, c'mon Yato!” the frost child whined, “It was funny! Tell me it wasn't funny!”

“Jack. Jack, Jack, _Jack._ ” Yato sighed, “You can't keep freezing the walkways over. Somebody will eventually notice and bring in some exorcist or something. What would happen if some crackpot old man comes in and wards the area against malevolent spirits?”

“But I'm not malevolent!” the white haired child pouted and Yato raised an eyebrow.

“If your pranks keep hurting people like this then people are going to think that you are and that _I'm_ the one teaching you to do all this crap.” he waved his hand vaguely. “Breaking people's hip bones on slippery roads and freezing their water supplies.”

“But they are terrible people! What does it matter if they are struck with a little 'bad luck'?” Jack whined. “And it was just a few little pranks anyway!”

Yato pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to quell his growing irritation. Jack had recently found a group of local thieves in a nearby town and had taken to terrorising the group whenever he could. Normally Yato would have been fine with a few little pranks but Jack's recent 'prank' had given one of the elderly women in the village a broken hip after she had slipped on the ice Jack left for the criminals. The frozen water supply had, too, dealt the village another blow when everyone woke up to find that they had no drinkable water for the morning.

“You're taking this too far, Jack! Drop some snow on their heads, freeze their clothes stiff. Heck! Hold their shirts open and drop ice down their backs! Just stop doing things that would hurt the other villagers!” Jack crossed his arms and pulled a face, looking off to the side.

“I was just playing.” he said quietly and Yato's anger drained out of him. The god sighed and pulled the child spirit into his arms.

“I know you are, little spirit.” he said softly, “But your pranks are hurting people and if you don't stop then people are going to think that you are no better than the _ayakashi_. Do you want people to think you're no better than a bug with ten eyes?”

“No...” Jack said miserably and Yato felt the boy shake his head against his shoulder. He smiled and then tightened his hug. Jack sounded like Yato had just told him to cut off his arm.

“I'm not telling you to stop pranking, Jack.” he told the spirit, “Just stop the ones where people get hurt.”

Jack was silent for a moment as he turned this over in his head. He shifted slightly until he could peek at Yato from the corner of his eye. “How do I know if a prank is all right to do?”

Yato tilted his head to the side in thought. “I guess if the surrounding people laugh a little then the prank is okay. Nothing that would lead to the targeted person feeling sad though, okay?”

“Okay. I'm sorry, Yato.” Jack turned into Yato's shoulder, sounding utterly contrite. The calamity god hugged his charge tightly and smiled.

“Its okay, little spirit.” he told the child. 

Yeah, Jack _was_ a naughty little shit but he _Yato's_ naughty little shit.


	4. The Bath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack gets dirty and Yato takes him somewhere new to get clean.

 Jack giggled as he splashed in the shallow water of the rice paddie. Today Yato had been called upon in the middle of Jack's self defense training. Normally Jack would have been slightly upset that they wouldn't be learning any more cool fighting moves today but it was okay this time because the human was one that really needed help.

The human was a poor farmer desperately in need of some help in his rice fields. The farmer was an old man with no family to help him see to his large paddie and he did not have enough money to hire any workers, thus he had been praying to any and every god that would listen. Luckily for him, Yato was the one that answered.

Jack hadn't been sure whether or not he was supposed to stick around or not but after having spotted the large flooded field he decided to stay. It was summer in Japan right now and Jack hardly ever stayed in an area once the weather turned hot.

It wasn't that he didn't like or couldn't take heat, ( _on the contrary he quite enjoyed warm weather sometimes!_ ), it was just that there was normally a summer spirit nearby that would chase him away. The tiny spirit eyed the water longingly and wrung his hands over the knobby wood of his crook.

He really wanted to play in the water.

Like really, _really_ wanted. The pull of winter was weak right now and his urge to freeze over things was all but non-existent so he was sure that he wouldn't make the water _too_ cold if he got in... Jack crept forward and dipped a toe into the water. It was becoming more and more tempting the longer Jack looked at it but he still wasn't sure.

“Do you want to play for a while I get this done?” Yato's voice shocked Jack out of his quiet contemplation and he jumped backwards.

“Good form.” the man nodded at Jack's upraised crook and the boy blushed. Yato pushed a large straw hat onto his head. “I might be a while but if you don't mind waiting then we can carry on with practice when I get done okay?”

“Okay.” Jack nodded, “I'll wait for you to get done.”

He then turned to eye the water once more as Yato began to roll up his clothing. Maybe...?

“Hey, Yato?” Jack called and waited for the man to look up before continuing, “Can I play in the water while you work?”

Jack looked down to his bare toes as he waited for his mentor's reply. While he knew that Yato wouldn't say anything bad (it was either a yes or a no) he still was a bit nervous to hear what the man would say. Jack _really_ wanted to play but he didn't want to get his hopes up too high because-

“Okay. Just don't get your clothing wet.”

Wait, what?

Jack's eyebrows came together and he looked up again, “What?”

Yato was busy collecting his equipment and getting ready to enter the water. He absent-mindedly waved a hand at Jack.

“I don't mind if you play in the water as long as you remember to take your clothing off first. Oh! And don't go too far okay?”

Excitement bubbled up in Jack's chest and he quickly stripped down to his underwear. He was going swimming!

 

-o0o-

 

Jack frowned as he looked at the layer of dirt coating his skin. It wasn't like the normal dirt he usually dealt with where a quick flash freeze was all he needed to make the dirt fall off. This was a fine layer of much that had mixed with water and then stained his skin. It would be really hard to get off and Jack was really glad that Yato had told him before hand to take his clothes off before getting in.It would have been _so hard_ to get the cloth clean!

“Oh my.” an amused sounding Yato came to stand next to him. The god's eyes roving his wards dirty body. “If I didn't know any better I would have said you were an earth spirit instead of the young Winter.”

Jack's face turned blue as he blushed. Yes, he knew he was dirty okay! Yato chuckled, “Did you have fun today?”

All thoughts of dirt fled Jack's mind as he remembered the fun that he had while Yato had been working. He nodded and pointed to a mound of weeds in the middle of the paddie.

“Uh huh! Look, look! I got rid of all the weeds! See I kept on sitting on them where ever I went so I began to pull some out but then when I was pulling them I wondered what I could do with them. And then it hit me! I could make huts! So I started making a village! Come see before we go!”

Yato looked amused as he perused the tiny weed village that Jack had made in the paddie and explained what everything was. The little Winter beamed when the god put a hand on top of his head and smiled at him. Proud.

“Wow, little spirit, that's one impressive village you built there. Now how about we pack up and get going? I think I have an idea of something we can do that's better than training right now.”

Yato took Jack's hand and the little spirit squealed when the world turned bright.

 

-o0o-

 

When the light from the trip finally cleared Jack was surprised to find that they had been transported to a human town. And quite a big one too. Some of Jack's excitement faded and he moved closer to Yato, standing almost between the older man's legs. As much as Jack loved to explore new places he didn't enjoy the feeling of being walked through. It was painful and left him thoroughly unnerved for hours afterwards. A large hand closed on his and Jack startled. Yato smiled down at him.

“Don't worry, little spirit. This isn't the place I was talking about. Its a little further up.”

Jack sucked in a deep breath and forced himself to calm down and smile. He was just being silly. There wasn't anything to worry about. Yato wouldn't let anything happen to him; he'd protect Jack!

“Okay.” Jack whispered and gripped the god's hand a little tighter. Yato smiled at him and started walking.

Jack looked around as they went and was surprised to find that the place they had reappeared in was actually one of the richer villages. There were many people walking around wearing bright, fine clothing and generally looking well groomed. Though for some reason, the further in they walked, the more the humans started to take on more and more strange appearances.

The sound of fast approaching hooves drew Jack's attention and the boy turned around to look behind him. The road was clear. Confused, Jack looked around but could not find the source of the sound. Surely there was a cart around there right? Yato chuckled and tugged gently on Jack's hand.

“Look up.” he said.

Jack looked and nearly tripped when he saw a wagon pulled by two oxen clop merrily over the roofs.

“Wh-!” Jack struggled to keep his mouth closed and used both hands to tug at his guardian's sleeve. “Yato, Yato! Look! Look its flying! Yato look!”

“Yes I can see its flying, Jack.” Yato smiled lopsidedly. “I'm not sure if you recall but I was the one that pointed that out to you.”

“Yes-! But-! Its flying! Without the Wind's help!”

“Yes well, the Wind isn't the only thing out there that can fly.” Yato told him. Jack's mind was _blown_.

“Its not?!”

“Nope. There's lots of people out there that can get around through the air.” he pointed to the wagon. “Flying wagons just seem to be the most popular choice though.”

Jack still couldn't believe it. Flying! Without the Wind!

Yato shook his head, looking entirely amused. “Anyway I guess I should be the first to welcome you to the community.”

“The community?”

“Yep. _Our_ Community. Welcome, Jack, to the Youkai District. Your number one stop for your every supernatural need.”

 

-o0o-

 

As it turned out, the Youkai District was pretty much the same as a normal village except that there were no humans. Jack saw many things one would normally see in a village (blacksmith, inn's, traders ect.) but was surprised that all the people that walked around looked like things out of a story book.

At first Jack had been scared that they were like the ayakashi that normally came after him but Yato had assured him that the people in the District were entirely different. Jack wasn't so sure but decided to take Yato's word on it.

Yato pulled Jack towards a large building near the edge of the District and Jack was surprised to find that it was an Onsen. It took a moment for it all to set in before the little Winter whined in protest. He didn't want to go into the hot springs!

“Noooo...” he dragged his feet and pulled back, “Yato I don't wanna have a _bath_. They're _awful!_ ”

Yato lifted a brow and paused. “Have you ever even had a bath before?”

Jack stopped whining and thought about it for a moment. He didn't _think_ he'd had a bath before but-! But all the kids he saw always complained about having to go in and have their baths. So if they complained then it _must_ have been horrible. Jack thought this and told Yato as much.

Yato rolled his eyes. “Yes but those are humans and westerners. From what I hear they don't bathe that often. Like once every couple weeks or something disgusting like that. So its kind of obvious that they'd hate it when they had to do it.”

Jack was unconvinced.

“Just try it okay? I promise you, you'll like it.”

And with that things were no longer up for discussion. Jack's hand was clamped in a firm but gentle hold and he was led into the springs. The red flaps in the entrance brushed Yato's head and Jack was tempted to call the Wind to lift him up so he could touch them too but was soon distracted by the creature at the front desk.

The youkai at the desk was a green skinned thing that was a little bigger than Jack himself. It had a beak that peaked out from between stringy hair and a shell peaked out from behind it. Jack's eyes were drawn to the bald spot on the top of its head.

“Welcome!” the _youkai_ greeted before taking note of Jack's dirty appearance. The _youkai_ _tsk'_ ed and looked at Yato with a frown. “Look at the state of your child! He's absolutely filthy!” she chided and Jack's insides froze.

This was the first time that both Yato and Jack had been visible enough for someone to mistake them for father and son. Jack didn't really know what to think of the whole thing but he didn't want to get Yato mad. Would the god take offence at being called his father?

Apparently not.

Yato chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yes, he is quite dirty isn't he?”

Jack's chest did a happy fluttery thing and he had to duck his head when Yato didn't shout the lady for saying that he was Jack's daddy. It was silly but it really did make Jack insanely happy. Yato didn't mind.

The two adults spoke on.

“I hope its not going to be a problem though, kappa-san? Because we don't exactly have a territory of our own to clean up by and I can't exactly let him go dirty like this.”

The kappa sniffed before nodding to a doorway to her left. “It won't be a problem as long as you clean up properly before getting into the springs.”

Yato grinned and went to pay her before pulling a suddenly very shy Jack long.

 

-o0o-

 

Jack hummed in delight as Yato ran soapy fingers through his hair. He had never had his hair washed before but he didn't know why he hadn't done it sooner! It felt really good! Now that he'd had his first bath he really couldn't see why the children he saw disliked having to do this all the time. It was great!

Jack was seated on a small stool in front of Yato and the god had told him to scrub himself clean while he worked out over a decades worth of dirt out of the spirits hair. In the beginning Jack had been quite embarrassed to see just how murky the water was that fell to the ground after each bucket was emptied over his head but soon he just settled for enjoying the feeling of gentle fingers massaging his scalp. Yato worked his fingers in small circles along Jack's skull and never hurt him even when he came across a knot that he had to tug free!

All too soon his hair was clean and Yato began scrubbing Jack's skin clean. Apparently, he hadn't done all that great of a job getting the muck off but to his defense he had gotten a bit distracted by how good it felt to have his hair cleaned. Jack was sure that if he was a kitty he would have been purring.

“Hey, Yato?” Jack piped up as his toes were being washed.

“Hmm?”

“Can we come for a bath everyday?” he asked and Yato laughed.

“Maybe not everyday, little spirit.” the god said, “But I expect you to come here at least once a week to get washed up, okay?”

Jack grinned. “Mm!”

They didn't get to train that day but Jack couldn't really find it in himself to care, he thought as he settled into the shallow end of the hot spring. It had been a nice fun day with Yato. Maybe one day he'd even tell the god how happy he was to have someone around that looked after him while he played in the mud and that washed his hair for him. A kinda-sorta daddy.

Jack giggled a bit to himself. Now he really was just being silly. Thinking stuff like that even when he knew his real daddy was the Moon. 

 

 

 


	5. Bite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack has a pretty crappy day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just realized that I tagged the Wind as a character when I started this whole thing but haven't yet had any interactions with it. Well! In order to correct this mistake I will now dedicate the next few chapters to it.

The Wind yanked Jack up _hard_ by his middle and the little boy gasped in surprise. Little blue eyes widened as he was suddenly catapulted into the air and the dog ayakashi snarled as its prey was moved out of its reach.

If he wasn't so scared, Jack would have sighed in relief but as it was terror still gripped his heart and made his limbs shake. The ayakashi below him was still glaring at him with its too many eyes and all Jack could focus on was the all too sharp teeth that jutted out of the thing's crooked jaw.

Time slowed down and Jack saw the exact moment when the monster gained a suspicious glint in its eyes and _jumped_. Jack watched in horror as needle sharp teeth came closer and closer to his hanging arm.

The monsters mouth clamped down with a _snap_ and the Wind screeched at the resulting scream that erupted from Jack. The frost child's guardian blasted a column of sharp, icy air down and into the ayakashi and the beast released its prey with a yelp. The monster fell to the ground with a thump before it was picked up again and rammed into a nearby tree. The Wind would have carried on beating the beast had Jack not been silently pleasing with it to take him far far away, _please!_

“Wind.” Jack sobbed, “Wind it _hurts_! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts! Lets _go_.”

The pain was more than Jack had ever felt before and the full moon did nothing to hide the blood that was steadily dripping off his arm into the dark abyss below them. The Wind complied with its charge's pleas and silently lifted the child higher up into the air.

Jack didn't stop crying even when the trees melted into one big, rough blanket of dark greys and blacks. Feeling somewhat unsure with itself, the Wind stopped pulling Jack higher into the air and lightly bobbed the boy side to side. It was slow going but eventually Jack's sobs tapered off into a quiet, hiccuping cry.

The rocking motion was soothing and one that Jack had seen mummies and daddies to to their children when they were hurt. The fact that the Wind was trying to copy them was immensely comforting even if it did little to stop the blinding pain in his arm.  
For as long as Jack could remember it had always been him and the Wind.

When he had first come out the ice Jack had thought he was alone. All of the people in that village he had visited hadn't been able to see him and had walked through him like he hadn't even been there. They hadn't heard his cries nor his pleads for them to please just look at him and for a while Jack had thought he was a ghost.

But then one day when he was sitting in the middle of the pond he came out of, a voice spoke up and somebody was finally around to see him and tell him what was going on. At first it was hard to hear the quiet whispers or hums of the wind but Jack had been nothing but determined to hear what had been said and strived to learn the Language of the Winds.

It hadn't taken long for Jack to become fluent in the Language and if there was one thing he was ever immensely glad for, it was that he could speak to the Wind. Oh, Jack knew that the wind was an unusual caretaker for a child but it wasn't as if there was anyone else around to teach Jack what he needed to know or to protect him when the monsters were around.

The wound on Jack's arm throbbed and brought him back from his reminiscing. The pain was quickly overcoming all coherent thoughts at this point. Not even the tiny whisperings of the Wind were enough to help.

_'Sorry, my Frost Child, sorry, sorry. Just a little longer. We need to wait. Monster is still there. Sorry, my Brave Child, Strong Child.'_

Jack knew that he should be grateful for the reassuring words, that took a lot for the Wind to speak so much in one go, but his arm was really, really sore and he was scared.

“I-it hurts, Wind.” the words caught in his throat and the Wind shuddered.

 _'I know, I know.'_ it curled itself closer to Jack but didn't stop the rocking motion. _'Just a little longer. Soon it'll stop being sore.'_

The Wind's voice was sorrowful and made Jack's heart ache almost as much as his arm did. Really, all Jack wanted at this point was for the Wind to curl a little closer and hold him, to soothe away his hurts. Jack sniffed.

Why were monsters always trying to eat him? Was it because he was little?

“Can we go away from here?” Jack whispered and looked towards the ground. He really didn't want to see the monster again this night.

A breeze ruffled Jack's hair and the Wind gently started to move. It carried Jack far from the spot he was attacked and settled him down near a river as the sun started to rise. A little of Jack's fear started to dissipate as the sun's rays touched down because he knew that most monsters only came out at night but at this point Jack didn't allow himself to hope too much.

He had to clean his arm of the blood and find somewhere safe to hide so his arm could heal.

 

-o0o-

 

Jack's arm wasn't healing.

It really hurt too. Three days after the attack and the bite wasn't closing as quickly as it should as well as the fact that there were purple marks moving from the wound onto the rest of his arm. At first, Jack had thought that it was a normal bruise but after a while the mark didn't fade and instead got worse as it moved onto unmarked skin. Jack didn't really know what to do with his arm but hopefully his invisible caretaker would.

“Wind?” Jack held out his purple arm, “What's goin' on? Why's it not healin'?”

A breeze started up and rushed over sensitive skin. It felt nice and Jack was grateful for that.

 _'Bad.'_ the Wind whispered in his ear and Jack frowned at his arm. Sometimes it was like the Wind chose to be difficult. Obviously it was bad! It hurt a whole bunch! Really, sometimes the Wind was so silly.

“But why 's it bad?” he asked, “What's wrong with it?”

_'Sick. Frost Child is sick.'_

“I'm sick...” Jack echoed and felt oddly despondent at that moment. He had been around for a long time, like six years!, and that entire time he had never been sick. Jack had hoped, though he didn't like to think about it much, that if the time ever came that he was sick, he would have someone to take care of him.

Okay, yes, Jack knew he had the Wind and the Wind was awesome but somehow Jack didn't think it would be the same. Every time Jack thought of the sick children he saw through the windows of some of the houses he visited, there was always an adult or someone older nearby taking care of them. Even though he knew that it was mean and he should be happy for that child, Jack always thought that it was unfair that they got someone that would hold them when they weren't feeling good or felt sad.

Jack knew that if he ever got sick like that then there would be nobody to go get him medicine. He would have to pull himself together and go foraging for herbs himself. The Wind was nice but it didn't have hands to grind herbs or boil water.

“How do I get better?” Jack asked as he tried to distract himself, being jealous of other kids never got him anywhere. “Must I go find medicine?”

The Wind didn't speak and after a while Jack wondered if it was even with him any more but then it spoke:

 _'Come.'_ it said as it lifted Jack into the air, _'We will wait.'_

And then it was done speaking. Jack tried asking more questions _(“So I don' have t'get yucky herbs, right?”)_ but the Wind was done for the day and no more answers were forthcoming. Jack sulked for a little after that and tried to give the Wind the Silent Treatment but realized after a while that the Silent Treatment on the wind wasn't going to work. Which sucked.

So instead he played a bit on the cliff that the Wind put him down on and decided to wait. The Wind didn't have a very good grasp on time so Jack was prepared to wait a while for whatever they were supposed to be waiting for.

Which was okay until it started to get dark.

As dusk approached Jack started to get more and more jittery. Thoughts of the monster dog were still fresh in his mind and to make things worse his arm ached something fierce. In fact, the achy feeling was so bad that Jack decided that it would be better to just sit down after a while. He loved to play but it was dark and a sore arm wouldn't help him. Especially if his other arm was busy holding his really long crook.

Sometimes Jack thought that it would be better to leave the crook behind because it was nearly twice as tall as he was but then the Wind would whisper something in his ear and Jack would remember that it was through the stick that the Wind acted. There would be no more gentle whispers or fun flights through the air without the big stick, so Jack had to keep it around.

Placing said big stick on the ground next to him, Jack curled into a ball and hoped that nothing would find him. He didn't think that he would be able to hand another attack so close to the first one.

For a while all was quiet and Jack listened to the bugs in the trees as he desperately tried to block out all the scared feelings welling up inside him. In fact, it was so quiet that Jack nearly fell asleep. With his arms wrapped around his legs and his head on his knees Jack missed the sound of footsteps and almost missed it when the person in front of him spoke.

“ _Hey there, kid. You certainly look like you've had a pretty crappy day.”_

And Jack's hands shook because this man _saw him_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies in advance for any inconsistencies spotted. 
> 
> I know this chapter has one but I'm lazy to go back and rewrite it. please know that I wrote this sporadically and not in chronological order. I jump around a lot so mistakes are bound to happen.


	6. Her Child

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The North Wind and her attempts to better the life of a small Frost Child.

From the very first moment the Frost Child came out of the ice the North Wind was absolutely _smitten_ with him.

A child of ice and snow! When last had one walked across the earth?

The North Wind had been there when the child sacrificed himself for his young sibling and fell through the ice in her place. The Wind was there when the air grew thick with magic and the moonbeams gathered near the reaching fingers of their master.

She watched as the Moon reached down from the Heavens to Change the child into something new. Saw how the Moon instilled his wishes into the child and saw how his body, his entire _being_ , changed to in accordance to those wishes.

It really was exciting when the child burst from his icy womb. The Wind could barely keep still as he slowly examined himself.

The Wind curled in amusement when the child discovered his powers. In a way, it was sad to know that no matter how happy the child seemed now, life was never easy for a Winter Child. To make things worse there hadn't been many spirits born to Winter in recent times so the newborn would most likely go through most of his life without meeting another of his kind and the ones he comes across would likely have already become bitter.

The North Wind was far from an influential being. True, in ancient times when humans had worshipped her as a goddess, she had an actual form but these days her power had dwindled drastically. She hardly had enough form to blow a couple leaves from the trees in recent times. Fortunately, she still had enough power to bless the child in front of her.

Gathering herself, the North Wind collected as much of her power as she could and channelled it into the Frost Child's staff. The wood had been reborn with the child, it would serve as his conduct as well as act as an anchor for the Wind.

She wouldn't allow another Winter Child to suffer alone in these dark times.

 

-o0o-

 

Even though she had promised, the North Wind still couldn't stop the pain her Frost Child felt.

He was miserable, the Wind concluded one day after another failed attempt at contact. The Frost Child had yet to come to terms with the fact that he could not interact with the Near Shore and was nearly drowning in loneliness. So the Wind set out to find something that would soothe her Frost Child's hurt.

After much searching the Wind thought she found a potential candidate.

The Calamity god she found was an odd one. He was not like others of his kind; he was kind and tried desperately for others to see him going against his instincts. And if he was left a little socially awkward in his isolation, well then Wind never thought any less of him.

He was strong too, the Wind saw. This Calamity had a hard time keeping Sacred Weapons for long but he never struggled without one. In fact, the Wind would go so far as to say that he hardly needed one at all! It was quite surprising.

And so, one day when her child told her to take him away from the hurt she took him right to where the Kind Calamity was. It mattered not that the two did not speak, the trip was more successful than the Wind could have hoped.

Though they did not talk, the Kind Calamity noticed her child and did not bear a grudge. That was all that mattered.

 

-o0o-

 

The second time the Wind attempted to instigate a meeting didn't end up in a confrontation either.

The Kind Calamity saw her Child, yes, but he did not approach and her Frost Child was too busy attempting to coating the area in cold to take notice of any curious gods.

Later, the Frost Child would wonder why his companion was in such a foul mood for the next few days.

 

-o0o-

 

It came as a surprise to the Wind that the first time her child and the Kind Calamity _actually_ met, it was due to no meddling of hers. A purely coincidental meeting.

The Wind's child had been running from some Far Shore creatures and had gotten hurt before the Wind could whisk him away. The Blight was an ugly purple on her Frost Child's arm and he was in obvious pain. The Wind curled anxiously around him and blew gently on his wound in attempt to ease the pain. she had brought him to this area because she knew that the close proximity to the holy grounds of the nearby shrines would deter most lurking monsters. The Wind didn't _actually_ know what else to do besides let her child sit and rest but she hoped that he would catch the attention of one of the many shinki that lived in the area. The only problem was that the Wind would have to somehow find a way for her Child to get into contact with one of said shinki.

It had come as a surprise to both the Wind and her Child when somebody stepped out of the shadows.

The Wind watched on smugly as the Kind Calamity spoke gently to her child. He guided her Child away from the tree and took him to a well to heal his wounds. The Kind Calamity spoke constantly to her Child and soon ( _wonder upon wonders_ ) her child started to speak back!

If the Wind had a body, she would have wiggled in excitement for what was to come. Her child wouldn't be alone now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because somebody had to push Jack and Yato together. I couldn't really bring myself to believe that Yato and Jack would meet purely by coincidental circumstances. So why not let it be the Wind that gave them that nudge?


	7. Regalia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yato fixes the Wind's problem of intangibility.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so this chapter starts off from the Wind's POV. Its a little different from what I usually do but I needed it in order for the chapter to make proper sense. So... just bare with me okay?

“So… which one are you?” the Kind Calamity asked one day seemingly out of nowhere and for a moment the Wind is confused to who he is speaking to. There is nobody else in the clearing but them, her Child has found a large pile of snow to nap within.

“Oh, don't look so confused.” the Calamity said and brushes a stray leaf out of his hair, “You always kick loose junk up into the air when you get confused. It’s actually really annoying.”

It takes a moment but after a while the Wind is surprised to find that the god is talking to _her_. The Wind's breezes stilled in shock and the Kind Calamity laughs.

“That big of a shocker, huh?” he asks and the Wind curles around him in a silent apology. She ruffles his hair and hopes he gets her message.

He does.

“Don't worry about it.” he smiles and then folds his arms. “And answer the question. Which wind are you? The West? No? The North?”

The Wind blows strongly from the North and the Kind Calamity smiles in the direction that the gust had come from.

“North, huh?” he muses. His smile grows a little larger then. Now the Wind is curious. The Kind Calamity is giving her the smile that normally tells her that he is feeling especially smug. It is his _I-feel-Oh-So-Clever-Right-Now-And-I-Am-Proud-Of-My-Cleverness_ smile.

“Hey, Wind.” he says, “I've got a preposition for you.”

 

-o0o-

 

“You really think this will work?” her child asks hesitantly. His hands are tight on the crook the Wind has blessed. “I'm not a god, Yato.”

“ _Yes_ , I'm sure! I still think there's some relation to that Jokul guy. Just _try_ it Jack.” The Kind Calamity says from the rock he is longing on. One hand props his head up and the other waves non-committedly. He is convinced that her Frost Child will be able to summon the power of another winter god that lived long ago before vanishing. In fact, he is so sure of this that he can hardly bring himself to be tense with them.

So he has decided to sunbathe while they fidget nervously.

“ _Up, up, up!”_ the Wind screeches at him before she remembers that he can't understand her. She turns to her Child and ruffles his hair, telling him to relay her message.

“The Wind is beginning to feel anxious and so am I.” her Child tells the Calamity, “Can you _please_ take this seriously?”

The Kind Calamity hums and continues to sunbathe. The Wind wants to scream but has to settle with knocking him off his rock with a well-placed gust. The god falls to the ground with a yelp.

“Okay, okay! I'm up!” the god shouts and grumbles on his way over to her Frost Child. His eyes soften when he sees how nervous their Frost Child is though. He pulls their Child in for one last hug before stepping back. “Come on, Jack. There's no hurt in trying. Just say it like we practised.”

Their Child nods and then is still for a moment as he collects himself. The Kind Calamity steps back and watches silently as her child starts to chant.

He holds the Blessed Crook loosely with both hands by its center, his fingers straight with only his thumbs to keep it from falling. His posture is perfect and power from his center thrums down his arms and into his hands, making them glow a soft blue. His voice resonates with power.

 _“My name is Jack Frost!”_ His hands slowly move apart, wood shining blue in their wake, they come to a stop perpendicular to his shoulder.

 _“Here, relinquish thy name forgotten in time and become my servant bearing the name I bestow.”_ Her child stares intently at the crook, as if addressing it, and the Wind shudders. The power in the air promises to bring something both she and her child craves.

_“Thy name is its reading, thy vessel its sound. By my decree you become my Regalia. Thy name is Khione, thy vessel Wind. Come to me, Wind!”_

There is a flash of light and the crook glows brightly for several seconds. And suddenly... the world is clear again.

The passage of time, which had confused her for so long, suddenly becomes understandable. Her child gains a name, ( _She knew he had one before. It just didn't matter back then_ ), and she honestly believes Yato deserves a medal or something. It worked! That man is an utter genius!

Said genius breaks the awed silence, still looking as smug as ever, and gently urged Jack along with a nudge to the shoulder. Jack jolted at the touch but called out in a wavering voice to her.

“Revert, Khione.”

The sound of a bell rings through the air and Nordic Runes flash above the crook. The Wind feels the pull and then...

...she is human shaped again.

She has two eyes, a nose, ears and long white hair that flows passed her shoulders. The material of her equally white dress is soft on her skin and shifts slightly as she raises her shaking hands, ( _hands! Hers!)_ , to her face. Its wet when she touches her cheek.

A sob breaks her reverie and her eyes snap up just in time to see Jack rushing her. A moment later and her arms are filled with a sobbing child. She doesn't mind because she is sobbing too.

The band of Runes around her arm is the most beautiful thing she has ever seen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the Noragami cannon 'verse: each new/reincarnated god that the heavens are in charge of, receives a shinki. If not just to teach them the bits they need to know and then fuck off when they're grown.
> 
> The Wind will forever be a character in my mind and thus is the perfect candidate for a Shinki for Jack.


	8. Somebody Better

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack gets something off his chest and Old man Tenjin's heart breaks a little.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here we see a little bit of a timeskip forwards from the previous chapters. Not all that far ahead but enough that there should be a few chapters in the future that would take place before this one.

“Hey, Tenjin-sensei... how come I don't have a mom or a dad?”

Tenjin looked up from the old tome he had been reading with a start. Young Jack sat near his feet practising the English alphabet on many pieces of scattered paper. The young spirit had a pencil held loosely in his hand as he stared hard at the page under his arms.

“Excuse me?” the god said, a bit taken aback.

While he knew that Jack was little over twenty years old, he still had the mindset of the seven-year-old that he currently looked like. It really wasn't uncommon in immortal children and Tenjin wasn't all that surprised that Jack had asked him such a childish question. He just wished that Yato could have been the one that was asked instead. Jack nodded and peaked up at the old god through his bangs.

“A mom and a dad.” the boy repeated, “Why don't I have a mom and a dad? I know I have some but why don’t I _have_ one?”

For all Lord Tenjin's knowledge, he was struck dumb by the seemingly innocent but utterly heart breaking question. He floundered for a moment before clearing his throat and closing the tome. This was something he had to give his full attention to.

“What has brought this up, child?” he deflected. True, he was stalling but he honestly didn't want to explain the nitty gritty details behind immortal parentage to one so young. It was rare that young immortals ever saw their parents, if they had any, and even rarer that said parents stayed behind to raise the young immortal. Jack's eyes strayed back down to the pages on the floor.

“Well... all the other kids I see always have a mum or a dad taking care of them... so I was wondering why I don't have either.” the child looked up again and Tenjin was horrified to see tears in his eyes. “Is it because I'm a winter spirit?”

And wasn't that just a kick to the chest.

“Oh, come here child.” the god pulled Jack onto his lap and allowed the child to put his head on his shoulder. “Whoever told you that you did not have parents because you were a Winter spirit?”

Jack shrugged weakly, “Nobody but I couldn't think of any other reason why nobody would want me.”

Tenjin had a quick mental debate on whether or not he should tell Jack how he came to be before deciding that having the child know was better than letting him go on thinking that he didn't have parents because he was Winter.

“You do have a mother and a father, little one.” he said and felt as the child's hand's gripped tightly onto his robes.

“I have a mum?” the boy breathed and the god nodded. Dimly he wondered why the boy only asked about his mother before moving on.

“Yes, child, your mother is a powerful immortal called Mother Nature. She is the one who watches over the four Seasonals and ensures that they do their job properly. Now, I haven't actually met her but they say that she has the powers of every season.”

“No way.” Jack's eyes were huge and there was frost starting to form under his fingers. As cold as it was Tenjin couldn't find it in himself to be mad at the boy, the child was just excited about hearing about his parents. The boy visibly hesitated before asking, somewhat more subdued than before, “What about my dad? Do you know who he is too?”

Tenjin nodded, “I do. If what I am told is correct then I would assume that your father is somebody that we both know.”

Jack's eyes fell to his lap. “Somebody that we both know?” he echoed quietly, if hesitantly.

Now Tenjin was beginning to worry. This was not the reaction he was looking for. Where was the excitement that had been there while they were discussing Mother Nature? If anything, Jack looked as if he was preparing for the worse.

“Yes, Jack.” Tenjin said cautiously. “I do believe that he was the one that gave you your name.”

Jack nodded.

“The moon is my dad?” he murmured and Tenjin hummed. “Yeah, I thought as much.”

Now the Scholastic god was beyond confused. The poor spirit in his lap looked absolutely desolate now. Unsure of what to do, the god carried on with his explanation.

“Your father's allies have taken to calling him MiM or the 'Man in the Moon' while the humans used to call him Mani, for he was their moon god.”

Jack stilled. His eyebrows knit and his mouth opened and closed as he tried to form words.

“Allies?” tiny fingers grouped blindly at his robes before finally finding purchase.

Tenjin nodded, “Yes, your father keeps court with a small collection of powerful Legend Spirits.”

“A- a court? And he’s a god? But- but-” Jack finally released Tenjin's robes so that he could flex his fingers. The older man was silent and allowed for Jack to collect himself.

“If he had allies he could have sent somebody to help me! Or bring me to him or something!” Jack looked at Tenjin with huge, hurt eyes and suddenly everything became clear to the god.

Jack hadn’t asked about his parents because he didn’t know who they are; he asked because he wanted to know why he was abandoned and left to fend for himself for little under a decade. Tenjin’s heart ached as Jack continued to pour his heart out.

“-but he just left me! He pulled me out of the ice and then just left me! He didn't tell me what I was supposed to do or why nobody could see or touch me and-! And I thought I was a ghost!” Jack's voice hitched, “I came out of that pond and for nearly a long while I didn't have anyone to speak to and I was lonely and confused and nobody cared that I was hurting or Blighted!”

Tears were falling from Jack's eyes in tiny rivets now. The old Lord watched as they formed at the corners of his eyes, dripped down and then froze by the time they dropped down onto his lap. Jack, himself, was turning bitterly cold and the floor underneath them crackled and snapped as frost grew at alarming rates. Still, Tenjin said nothing.

“I begged him! Nearly every night to- to just speak to me and tell me _why_!” Jack scrubbed angrily at his eyes and glared at his teacher. “And now you're telling me that _that_ _guy_ is supposed to be my dad?”

Jack dissolved into tears again and Tenjin pulled the boy close and allowed him to cry.

“You know...” the god said at last, “Just because the Moon is your _father_ does not mean that he has to be your _dad_.”

Jack stilled, his sobs turning to quiet hiccups, so Tenjin continued.

“As horrible as it may sound, the truth of the matter is that gods really are _terrible_ parents. You see, immortal children are not born the same way that mortal ones are. They are born from the wishes of many mortals or the wish of one or two powerful immortals. They are born to fill gaps of power or perform specific duties.” the greying man wiped a frozen tear from Jack's cheek. “It is unfortunate but the fact of the matter is that immortal parents often have other duties to attend to; they simply don't have _time_ to take care of their young.”

Jack was sobbing again but Tenjin didn't stop. He was not finished and the young child needed to know this.

“But! --And this is a big 'but'-- That doesn't mean that there aren't immortals around that care for the children left to fend for themselves. There are those who are either sent by the Heavens to take care of Newborns or, if the child were lucky enough, someone _else_ may come along and take the young immortal under their wing.” Tenjin eyed Jack speculatively and waited for the child to catch the hint. Eventually, he did.

“Yato!” the boy gasped. Tenjin smiled.

“Yes, little one! Your Yatogami is an oddity in that he saw a Newborn, you, without a guide sent by the Heavens and decided to do something about it. It didn't matter that he was poor and that he knew it would be hard to provide for you because of this; He saw that you were lonely and blighted and hurting and still tried to change things for you.”

And wasn't that a surprise. Tenjin could hardly believe that the fearsome combat god, a god of calamity, would go so against his own nature and care for a Newborn. The fact that he had swallowed his own pride and attempted to make the child's life better and guide him down the correct path was truly amazing.

“Now, tell me child, which would you rather choose; the cold Moon that watches you from afar or your poor Yatogami that has no shrine to call his own?”

There was no hesitation.

“I'd choose Yato!”

The old man laughed, “So then what does it matter that the moon is a terrible father? Because if you ask me I'd say that you have somebody even _better_.”


	9. Mother Nature

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Never let it be said that the North Wind does not look out for her people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mother Nature for Mothers day. Because I can.  
> (I know in the Guardians of Childhood, Mother Nature is actually nice but since this is my story I'm allowed to do whatever I please with the characters. *shrugs* Sue me.)

The Mother had never been one of any interest to the Wind.

The woman was abrasive and cruel at the best of times. Choosing to hide away in her hidden sanctuary for hundreds of years and turn a blind eye to all that might need her help. The Wind was sure that the only thing the Mother cared about was creating new species of plants and animals to wander about in her beloved garden. In fact, the Wind couldn't remember a time where the Mother had come out to actually _help_ the outside world other than create large natural disasters when she felt the human population was growing too large.

The Mother cared very little for actually assisting the Seasons in their effort to care for the planet.  

So, as a whole, the Wind had never much paid any attention to the reclusive Mother but after this day the Wind could definitely say that the woman was far from one of her favored immortals.

“You have no business corrupting one of my generals!”

“Listen here, lady, I don't know where you've been getting your information but I have not been _corrupting_ anyone!”

The Mother had heard the rumor that the Kind Calamity was teaching the Frost Child and came to investigate. Needless to say, she was not happy that a god of calamity was interacting with one of 'her' Seasonals.

“Stay away from him.” Mother spat. The sky rumbled ominously as her sister, the East Wind, curled restlessly around her mistress and the Wind sought to it that her Calamity was carefully guarded too. It would not do if he was attacked by an enemy that he couldn't see, let alone defend against.

At first, the Sister East had been confused. She hadn't known why the North was there and had then tried to push her away, to send her elsewhere, because the Mother was there now and all those not involved should leave.

The North Wind scoffed. As if she would leave! Her Kind Calamity was still there and she would protect him as much as she would protect her Frost Child! And if it came down to shielding him from the Mother's wrath then so be it. The North Wind had never been one for conforming and bending to the will of others _anyway_.

“ _'Stay away from him'_?” the Wind's charge said incredulously. “Just like you and the rest of your 'loving' children did?”

If the Kind Calamity was angry before he was _furious_ now.

The Sister East kicked up her wind a notch at the perceived threat to the Mother. She sent a cool blast at the Kind Calamity in attempt to knock him down. It wasn't much of an attack, granted, a little more than a sharp blow to the face, but the mere fact that her sister had even _tried_ to attack her Calamity was enough to send the Wind into a frenzy.

How _dare_ anyone attack the caretaker of her Child?

The Wind gathered enough of her breezes together and formed a twisting shield around the god of calamity. The blast of air that had been aimed at the unsuspecting man's head had dissipated before it could reach him and the Sister East stilled in shock.

 _'Traitor!'_ her Sister spat in the Language of the Winds. If she could, the North Wind would had huffed.

 _'Do not touch him!'_ she said instead and sent a blast of icy cool air towards the Mother. Her Sister the East screeched as the blast caused her to disperse slightly but did not attack again. They both knew that of the Cardinal Winds, the North had always been the most powerful. She had to be as to keep up with the needs of the demanding Winter.

Pleased that her intimidation had worked, the North Wind settled down. Her Kind Calamity was not in this alone she had told her Sister Wind through the attack. Their Mother would not be able to bully him unfairly while she was around. Her Sister settled back around the Mother, sulking. Around them, the other two immortals fought still.

“You will not speak a word against my generals!” At the Mother's feet thorn bushes were growing and writhing, reaching for the Calamity. “He was born with the knowledge of Winter! He needed no guide!”

The Wind wasn't so sure about that. As much as her Child knew what he had to do and when he had to do it, he had very little skill in actually crafting winter in the way that he wanted it. A teacher would have sped thing's along and prevented a lot of heartache.

“HA!” the Calamity must have been thinking the same thing. “That's a load of bull and you know it! You just don't want to admit that you and your precious consort abandoned a Newborn child!”

The Wind's Kind Calamity's eyes were flashing a bright blue and the air around him was becoming saturated with his power. The chaotic energy that the Calamity normally worked so hard to keep down was slowly leaking through the cracks and attracting unfavorable creatures. The Wind eyed the small black creatures that were slowly gathering. Hopefully, her Calamity would not attract ayakashi, the Wind wasn't sure if she would be able to help with those.

All the while, as the immortals fought and she inspected the resulting overflow from a god of calamity, her Sister whispered unfavorable things into the air.

 _'See? Look what he does! What he brings! Evil! He is evil!'_ Sister East hissed. _‘Why do you protect him? He is a creature of Darkness! He does not deserve it! How can you stand to be near his foul energy?’_

The Wind ignored the East and tightened her shield. The Mother hadn't noticed the approaching danger but things would not end well if she thought the Kind Calamity was calling the creatures to them on purpose.

“He is _Winter_! There was no need to coddle him!”

“What does it matter that he is Winter? He came out of that ice as an amnesic _child_! He literally had no knowledge of the word outside how to make water freeze over! And the only one of your _Oh-So-Great-And-Benevolent-Court_ that gave him even a _lick_ of attention was a Wind! What kind of person leaves a newborn in the care of somebody without a corporeal body?”

The Wind sent a blast of air into her Calamity's ear, reminding him that she was still there. The god paused for a second to look to the side and give her an apologetic look before turning back to the Mother.

“His appearance and apparent age matters little in the grand scheme of things.” She said, unmoved.  “He should be glad that one of the Winds took pity on him at all! Very few ever do enough to gain their favor!”

Huh, the Wind stilled for a second. So, _this_ was what it was like to feel anger. Her breezes shuddered under the weight of her queen’s words. Did she really not care that her newly born Winter could have died long before anybody even noticed he was there? Was she really only angry that an outsider, an immortal not even affiliated with nature, was the one teaching her charge?

“You,” the combat god said, anger glowing a bright slitted blue, “are utterly _disgusting._ ”

The Mother sucked in a breath, face screwed in anger but the War god was having none of it. The Wind could feel the exact moment that he let go of any semblance of control and allowed his foul aura to fill the clearing they were in. The East Wind fell silent, the sky darkened and the Mother reeled back in shock.

The Wind took advantage of her position as ally and siphoned off her War god's energy.

Her winds became colder, sharper, and whipped around her god. She picked up all that she could, rocks, stones, blanches, leaves, and lifted them into the air. The Sister of the East struggled to shield the Mother from flying debris and the Mother's skin was quickly becoming littered with little cuts.

All the while, the War God stood untouched in the center of the storm.

“I have tried very, _very_ hard to be patient with you. Tried to make myself believe that you were just worried for Jack. That you just didn't want your child around something as negatively charged as me.” Yato's narrowed eyes were unnaturally bright. “But now I see that I was wrong in my assumption.”

“You were worried that I would corrupt one of your 'generals'?” Yato tipped his head to the side. “Well you no longer have to worry about that for any longer because from now on you won't have any say in what happens to Jack.”

“Oh, don't worry though, I'll take good care of him. Just be warned, Mother Nature or not, I will rip you to shreds if you ever touch him.”

There was a flash of poison purple and then the Wind's Calamity was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place before the Wind becomes a shinki.


	10. Purification

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack meets Yukine shortly after he gets trapped in the Purification Ritual. Needless to say, he's not all that pleased with the kid.

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry...” the blond chanted over and over. His eyes were red and swollen with tears that had not yet stopped flowing and his nose was quite nearly dripping. The epitome of guilt-ridden remorse.

Jack couldn't find it in him to forgive the kid just yet.

The kid had been caught in the Purification for little over an hour and _still_ bore signs of his sins. There were still tiny black nubs near his shoulders were there once were wings and the skin of his back was uneven with the lumps of premature eyeballs. Jack knew he had to accept that the kid was sorry and move on but it was _hard_.

It was so, _so_ hard to accept that the shinki his father employed was truly repentant over his sins and move on. How could he? Especially when there were still so many signs over just how far the brat had gone and just how much damage he had done.

Jack might not have been there when this whole mess started but he had arrived just in time to see the shinki spawn a couple eyeballs and sprout a pair of wings. Needless to say, he wasn't feeling as forgiving of this particular shinki. No, Jack felt that the brat got everything he deserved.

Looking down at the broken form of his dad held within his arms all the young Winter could feel was a certain vindictive glee. Jack knew how much purifications hurt and, though he felt ashamed to admit it, he was glad that the brat got to feel even a portion of the pain Yato was going through.

Jack's heart clenched and a lump formed in his throat.

Yato looked horrible. His skin was still sizzling and grey from the intense blight inflicted on him and breathing, while better than a few hours ago, was still slightly wheezy and uneven. His hair was limp and dull while his eyes had thick dark bags underneath them. The worse of it, Jack thought, was the blood that lingered around his lips and on his chin.

The little specks of red around the god's mouth and on the floor near his head had terrified Jack more than anything else when he had first arrived. Jack hadn't thought twice and ignored the painful blights on his arms that sprung up across his arms when he picked the god up to cradle him in his arms. He would take a soak in a spring after this but for the time being, he would stay by his father.

Khione hovered somewhere behind him in her human form, quietly explaining to the human girl who they were.

“Yato-san has taken care of Jack since he was a child-” she was saying, “so it came as quite a shock when we arrived for one of our visits to find him in such a state.”

The girl, Hiyori, chewed her lip and chanced a quick look at the teenage spirit. “Is he a god too? You'll have to forgive me... I'm still new to all this.”

Though he couldn't see it Jack knew his Regalia was smiling at the girl, trying to reassure her. “No, Jack is not a god. He is a Major Spirit; the Spirit of Winter.”

 _“The_ Spirit of Winter? Not _a_ spirit? _”_

“Yes, Jack is _the_ Spirit of Winter. He is the one who moves winter around the globe. You see-”

Jack tuned himself out and didn't hear what Hiyori said next. Now that the Wind had a body and a voice of her own, she loved to boast about her Frost Child to anyone who would listen. Though Jack loved Khione to bits there was other things he could be focusing his attention on.

Like the sobbing _mess_ of a shinki still in the process of being purified.

Jack felt a stab of uncharacteristic irritation. The brat had been saying the same thing for quite some time now but the little bits of ayakashi still clung to him and had yet to dissipate, a clear sign that he wasn't truly repentant. It was as if the guy had no intentions of following through with his plans to put a stop to all his crappy behaviour. Finally, Jack couldn't take any more.

“Yes, we know you're ' _sorry_ ' but what are you going to do about it? It hardly looks like you're even _trying_!” Jack spat at the blond and watched as the litany of apologies puttered out.

The kid didn't say anything but Jack knew he had his attention. In the corner of his eye Jack could see Daikoku giving him a sharp look but the older man didn't interfere. They both knew that the idiot shinki needed to hear this and if he didn't tell him, nobody else would.

“This was all the result of your thoughtless actions towards your god.” Jack continued, “I'm sure, somewhere along the line, that you were _told_ that the shinki's actions are reflected on his god. That their sins quite literally _stung_ them.”

The blond flinched. _Ah_ , so he was told. For a moment, Jack wasn't sure he had been told. If it wouldn't have looked bad or ruined the mood Jack would have sighed in relief.

Then again, that made more complicated than what he would have liked. If he had been told everything Stinging but chose to disregard it then Jack would just have to go another route. Maybe this time the brat would listen and take in what was being said instead of disregarding it.

“Tell me, Yukine,” Jack knew he was being harsh but he couldn't stop now that he had started talking, “have you ever heard the story about how the ancient Egyptians were judged after their death?”

Mutely, Yukine shook his head. He looked confused and thrown off by the abrupt change of subject. Jack ignored this and carried on.

“No? Well, the Egyptians believed that their souls were placed on a scale and weighed against a feather.” Jack answered. “It was called the _'Weighing of the Heart'_.”

Kazuma had a look of sudden revelation and Jack knew that the shinki had caught onto what was going on. A quick look around proved that Daikoku also seemed to know where he was going with this. Tomone, or whatever her name was now, looked clueless but the teen hadn't really expected such a young shinki to know so it wasn't much of a surprise. Jack dismissed them all and carried on with his lesson. And wasn't that odd. Him, Jack Frost. _Teaching._

“In the Weighing, all of the deceased's wrongdoings in life were put together and placed on a scale. If the pan containing the sins of the dead weighed more than the feather in the other, then that person's soul would be given to a terrifying beast to be devoured. There was no place like Hell for the person to be sent to and there was no eternal torment for that person because they would just _cease to exist_.

“Now you might be wondering how all this is relevant to this big mess up job that you’ve gone and gotten yourself into.” the kid looked as if he wanted to nod but was too scared to and for a moment Jack faltered. He didn't want anyone, especially a child to look at him with scared eyes like that. It made his stomach churn and his heart clench but he had to continue. The kid had to know. 

“The only answer would be that: _The Egyptians weren’t wrong_. They were actually pretty spot on.”

The kid's eyes went impossibly wide and Jack could see his hands start to shake. Behind him, Jack heard Hiyori gasp but refused to turn. Breaking eye contact at this moment in time seemed wrong.

“They were right about almost everything in the afterlife in that regard. They were right that our souls were released from our bodies after death. They were right that there was a monster out there that would eat it. Though, to be fair, they called the monster Ammit while we call it _Ayakashi._ ” Jack's eyes drifted to the marks on Yukine's shoulders. “They were also right about the soul being weighed against its sins.”

Yukine's hand flew to the shoulder Jack was looking at and the tears that had abated during the talk started up again.

“Am I going to be devoured?” he whispered fearfully and Jack shook his head.

“No, you won't. The Purification Ritual-” he gestured to the prism of light, “normally gets rid of all of the damage of the sins of a shinki but you know- this would not have been necessary if you had just listened...”

Jack looked down to the god in his arms and was a little surprised to find that he was awake. Yato smiled sadly at him and nodded his head for him to carry on. Jack felt the lump in his throat rise a little higher but he jolted a bit when somebody placed their hand on his shoulder, distracting him.

“Jack.” Khione squeezed his shoulder. The action, coupled with the nod from Yato, sent a burst of confidence through the spirit. He swallowed the lump and rounded up his story.

“...Did you know, Yukine,” Jack said after a deep breath. He wasn't feeling angry any more. All of his previous anger had vanished into a numbness that encompassed his entire being. “that gods are able to tell when a shinki's soul is beginning to weigh more than the Feather?”

Hesitantly, Yukine shook his head. “No.” he croaked.

Jack nodded. “ _'Disturbances of a shinki's heart cause pain to their god'._ ” he quoted, “That's what Yato once told me when I asked why Shinki hurt their gods. At the time, I was a little too young to understand the full implications of that simple statement but I think that you understand, don't you, Yukine-kun?”

Yukine nodded and looked down, utterly miserable now that he knew that Yato had been nothing but good to him. That the god had literally kept him from becoming an ayakashi.

“I u-unders-stand.” Yukine managed to say around his tears. At that moment, Jack wished nothing more than to be able to get up and hug the kid. Or receive a hug himself. Or really just be anywhere but kneeling with one knee in a puddle of his dad's blood.

Jack just really wanted to go home.

Jack sighed and buried his face in Yato's hair. This had to have been the longest, crappiest night he had _ever_ had. Nothing compared to the fear he had felt at the possibility that Yato could have died or that he literally reduced someone, a _child!,_ to tears. If anything, the young Winter just wished for the night to end.

There was a faint sizzling sound and Jack looked up just in time to see the last remnants of the ayakashi leave Yukine and the Imprisonment Barrier drop. For a moment, the blond just sat there on the floor, not looking up, before he spoke up.

“I'm sorry.” he said and this time, Jack believed him. The white-haired teen gave him a shaky smile.

“It's fine, just as long as you don't do it again.” Yukine roughly brushed some tears aside and stared resolutely at Jack.

“I won't.” he said, “From now on I'll be the behave. I won't steal, I won't vandalize, I won't think or act inappropriately. From now on, I'll try be the best shinki I could possibly be.”

Jack nodded in approval, “I'm sure you will be.”

There was a raspy laugh and all eyes turned to a tired looking Yato.

“Jeez, you really don't pull your punches do you, little spirit?” Yato looked at him sleepily, “You didn't even tell poor Yukine your name before you tore into him. That's really no way to treat your new little brother.”

Jack winced as he replayed his conversation with the blond and realized that, no he hadn't introduced himself. He just arrived and started raging.

“ _Brother_?” Yukine burst out, sounding shocked as he looked at Jack with wide eyes. Yato hummed, clearly struggling to stay awake.

“Yep, _brother_ but that's for another time. Right now, I'd really like to get inside and wash my mouth. It tastes like something died in there.”

Jack sighed as Yukine spluttered and helped his dad up. As much as he would have liked for his dad to have gotten a loyal shinki the normal way, he wasn't going to complain now that he had one. He could only hope that Yukine was prepared for all the trouble they were going to get into.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay now I'm going to start off by saying that I'm tentatively opening the gates for requests, prompts and OCs. I realize now that i really don't have all that much planned out for this fic besides the main points and I need stuff for the in between, so I decided to allow you guys to go crazy if you want. 
> 
> I'm not sure how many people would want to see their things here but, hey, no use in not trying right?


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